The Phoenix City Council let a contract expire about five years ago that put red light cameras at a dozen intersections and speed cameras in school zones.
Now, without enough police for effective traffic patrol of the nation’s fifth largest city, the council has approved a plan to bring them back.
The Maricopa Association of Governments says nearly all of the region’s most dangerous intersections are in Phoenix.
At a meeting Tuesday, Councilwoman Ann O’Brien said neighboring cities with red light and speed cameras don’t have an intersection ranked in the 50 most dangerous.
“Automated enforcement is not a pioneering path that no one has ever dared to go down before. And I know Phoenix had it before and took it away. But it’s just frustrating to me,” O’Brien said.
O’Brien and Vice Mayor Debra Stark said their offices receive near-daily complaints about speeding and red-light running.
Stark said the number of Phoenix police motorcycle officers has fallen by nearly 75%.
City staff says 20 people were killed and hundreds injured in red light-running crashes in Phoenix last year.
Councilwoman Laura Pastor said drivers will figure out which lights have cameras and where they can still speed.
“I think it’s a great tool to have. But at the end of the day, I think its enforcement is really what changes peoples’ behavior. So I’m hoping that we hire more police officers,” Pastor said.
The Phoenix Police Department has a chronic staffing shortage that officials have tried to fill by offering a hiring bonus of $7,500.
